December 3, 2007 (LPAC)--Confirming Lyndon LaRouche's assessment of the importance of focusing on getting the Israeli-Syrian talks going forward as a priority in and after the Annapolis peace conference, Syria is moving to play the moderating role it was expected to perform in the region, to make the overall peace negotiations possible. Syria's Foreign Minister Faisal Miqdad traveled to Tehran on Sunday, directly after coming home to Damascus from Annapolis, to brief the Iranian leadership on the peace talks and Syria's role. Syria's role should be regarded as a moderating effect on both Iran and the Palestinian factions that have been critical of peace talks, such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

Miqdad met with the Foreign Minister of Iran, Manuchehr Muttaqi, and conveyed a letter from the Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad.

The Arabic daily Asharq Al-Awsat, cites Iranian sources as saying that the message to Ahmedinejad explained to the Iranians the reasons why Syria opted to participate in the Annapolis meeting, and its position on the peace negotiations. The same sources state that the message includes an overall discussion of the situation in Southwest Asia, especially Lebanon and Iraq. Miqdad, in his press conference after meeting with his Iranian counterpart Muttaqi, called for the resumption of the peace talks between the Arab nations and Israel. This visit, and making such a statement from Tehran, cuts through the speculation about a break between Iran and Syria, over the latter's participation in Annapolis. What is happening is that Syria is building a bridge to the moderate forces in Iran to make sure that there is, at least, no interference with the negotiations process.

In the meantime, a conference that was planned, to be held in Tehran to bring together the anti-Annapolis Palestinian opposition factions was postponed indefinitely yesterday. These factions, which are mainly based in Syria, including Hamas, Jihad, the PLFP and other militant factions, received an invitation in October by Ahmedinejad to meet in Tehran. That meeting was postponed twice, and now seems to be cancelled.